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Leadership

Members of the Midland Tennis Center Steering Committee include [Updated 5/2010]:

  • Clint Alderman

  • Roger Artley

  • Steve Castle

  • Judy Christensen

  • Lael Cordes-Pitts - Executive Director, Casa de Amigos of Midland, Texas, Inc. Lael says: Reach Out Tennis came under the aegis of Casa de Amigos in 1995 and has provided administrative and program support for the summer and after school outreach activities plus the USTA Blitz and Team Tennis efforts over the past decade. The program’s mission of providing tennis for all persons regardless of physical or financial barriers ties in with the agency’s mission statement of “improving the quality of life throughout the community by helping people help themselves.” Casa de Amigos serves more than 10,000 people, or 10% of Midland’s population with programs in the areas of Senior Services, Health/Dental Services, Education and Social Services.

  • Jess Gilmour - Petroleum Landman Jess says: Having grown up in Midland playing tennis, it's exciting to come back here and see the growth and opportunity that this city offers to my generation. I believe the Midland Tennis Center represents another landmark for the auspicious future that Midland promises for its active citizens.

  • Janice Gist

  • Cutler Gist - After attending a Reach Out Program block party that Luis put together, I was moved by the enthusiasm of the young players. Luis brought together many different people of all walks of life and experience. I was impressed by the family involvement, the number of parents present supporting their children, and the young siblings on the sidelines, who would pick up spare racquets and head for an open court. I believe the Midland Tennis Center, along with the programs Luis has built, will be a great benefit to players of all abilities, their families, and by extension the entire community.

  • Will Green - Independent Geologist/Investor. Will says: I have enjoyed playing tennis for 37 years and find it fun and a great way to stay fit. Tennis is a sport many can continue well into their senior years. T

    his tennis center is needed to allow more young people to start tennis early in life.
  • Jim Henry - Independent oil operator. Jim says: I feel this tennis center will teach several generations of kids and adults tennis (a sport of a lifetime). A sport that not only develops physical fitness but character throughout life.

  • Bob Leibrock - Independent oil and gas producer. Bob says: Midland is fortunate to have superb facilities for a number of sports. Tennis is not currently one of these, although it is one of the few sports that can truly be a life-long experience. A first-class facility is clearly justified because even with existing instructional programs, over 80% of our youth are not being served. Unfortunately, the existing, mostly substandard facilities are scattered all over town. A centralized one, like the proposed MTC has been shown to be the best approach in Abilene, Lubbock and other cities of similar size. The MTC will also be open to adults at a nominal charge. It will definitely permit the kind of regional and national events that Midland regularly hosts for softball, soccer and other sports--with the resulting significant economic impact.

  • Shannon Lenisa - Shannon says: The Midland Tennis Center would be reaching out to our youth. There are some who are not as fortunate as others to have the opportunity to learn and play tennis. Introducing this sport would allow these kids to develop tennis skills with the potential for a lifetime of fun!

  • Brian Sheffield - Brian says: When I was growing up in Midland, during the summers we would play 4-5 hours a day at the Country Club. We were limited in playing only against other juniors that were club members. When local tennis tournaments came up in the summers we would run into other junors who also played 4-5 hours per day that were not club members. For some reason we would never practiced together. I have always thought it was because there was never a tennis center in town. I think the tennis center will solve this problem by being open to all juniors that want to play and practice against each other. Juniors could easly find pick-up matches against other competative juniors and adults. The Midland juniors in the 90s always admired Abilene's junior programs and players because at the Junior Varsity and the Varsity level they would always have all players that were qualified for the USTA's Junior Circuit at the Champs and Supers level. I feel that through a tennis center and the collaboration of other pros in the area we to can produce top ranked players that will be able to compete in the state.

  • Charlie Spence

  • Luis Valdez - Professional USPTA-certified tennis pro. Luis says: I started teaching tennis professionally in 1991 and in 1995 is when we established the Reach Out Tennis Program through Casa de Amigos. I realized then that we needed a public tennis center. I believe, just as our board believes---that everyone regardless of physical, financial or geographical barriers should have the opportunity to experience the game of tennis and the character it builds. Through this tennis center I feel we can build a win win situation for everyone in the community, the schools, churches, community based organizations and rural communities.

  • Gary Vandergriff - Tennis project architect. Gary says: I've lived tennis with two children who played competitive tennis here in Midland. Few available courts, mostly private, were spread all over town. This fragmented the players and team building suffered. The new facility will enrich the children who learn and play tennis in many ways beyond the pure mechanics of the sport.

  • Jim Woodcock

  • Greg Wright - New York Life Insurance Company. Greg says: I have played USTA tennis here in Midland for over 20 years and have had to travel every year to other cities in Texas for Zone and Regional tournaments. I would like to see Midland/Odessa become the beneficiary of all those visitor dollars, sales taxes, and facility usage. We have the airport and now the Hotel/Motel rooms along with other great sporting facilities to attract visitors and this Tennis facility would just be another great opportunity to promote tennis both locally and State wide for generations to come.